Kaua
by TheDogo
Summary: After a while, he began to wonder if his tendency towards the absurd was due to shock, or his new-found appreciation for the laws of physics. Because the laws of physics were a bitch and they'd outdone themselves this time.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.

**_Authors Note:_**_ This was originally supposed to be a one-shot Christmas present for Irene Claire. So thanks goes out to her for her patience in my ability to get this done ... by April! And thanks to Wenwalke and praemonitus praemunitus for the second time round beta and everyone who betaed this the first time round. So, this story is complete but … ***stop rolling your eyes at me Wenwalke*** … I played with it again after it was betaed, so all mistakes remain my own. Yeah, I know, such a rookie._

_Kaua – You and I._

_As ever … Enjoy!_

**Chapter 1**

"Grace, stay back."

It had taken his daughter over an hour to pick out their Christmas tree, a tradition Danny had been unwilling to give up, even in Hawaii. His split second of inattention though, a brief glance away from the running chainsaw and the release of his grip, were all actions that would cost him dearly. Because, as Newton's third law of motion explains: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The backward arc of the bar—a kickback—wrenched open Danny's fingers, disengaging the throttle and the trigger. Before he could get out of the way, the chisel chain raked through his jeans and down his quad, making him fall backwards.

"DANNO!"

The abandoned Stihl lay idling between them, the cutter teeth dragging along the bar. It wasn't until Danny began to curl into ball that he saw Grace tear her gaze away from the bloodied chain and dive to the ground, crawling on hands and knees to reach the saw. He watched as her fingers fumbled to kill the engine. Finally, with the flick of a switch, the rumble subsided, but then she froze again, seemingly unable to move the last few inches to his side.

"Grace …"

He spoke her name as nothing more than a whisper, forcing his eyes to remain open. The injury was bad. He didn't need to look at it to know that. Had he the energy, he would've smacked himself for taking his attention off the saw. His Dad had drilled user safety into his noggin ad nauseam, but the instinct to keep his daughter back was intrinsic. Protecting her would always come first … always.

"Grace … come here …"

He curled his fingers towards him to encourage her, until his breath hitched when more pain raced into his foot then rebounded up into his hip. His eyes closed unintentionally.

"Danno?

He blinked. Time had slipped. His daughter's nose was a scant fingerbreadth from his own now. Tears rolled down her cheeks, dripping off her chin and onto his face.

"Hey … don't. I'm okay, Monkey." Even to his own ears, his voice sounded weak.

"No, Danno, you're bleeding. I don't know how to stop it. I can't …"

She'd pulled back a bit, her face blanching when she glanced at his leg. Danny knew she was at a loss at what to do next, how to help him. His thigh felt as if it were on fire, the tendrils of flame licking at his nerve endings. But Grace's eyes were consumed with fear, her pupils blown wide and her lips trembling. God, he hated that he was scaring her.

"Alright. Help me … help me sit up. I … I need to look at it." He managed to couch his clipped sentences in as much encouragement as he could muster.

The sudden change in position, no matter how careful both of them had been, pulled at his quad. Deep, ragged breaths filled his lungs, chasing away the black smudges within his vision. He still felt as if he was looking through a narrowing tunnel though, his jeans brushed in russet and crimson. And then he realized that the colors were accurate. That there was a river of red pooling under his leg before soaking slowly into the ground.

"Okay, Monkey. Help me … help me get my belt off. It'll slow down the bleeding."

Neither of them had clean clothing they could press against the wound. His shirt was littered with wood chips and debris from his tumble. Grace's t-shirt fared no better. His belt, for the time being, was the only option. Careful not to tug too hard, so as not to move his lower body, they threaded Danny's belt through the loops of his jeans.

"Help me wrap this around my leg, just above the gash. Can you do that?"

Grace quickly nodded.

Danny kept up his reassurances while guiding her through what he needed. It took both of them to secure the tourniquet, their bloodied hands slipping off the leather. By the time they'd finished, his daughter's pallor had bleached out, her hands shaking. He knew she was struggling to keep her panic in check, no matter how brave she wanted to be.

"I'm sorry, Danno," she mumbled. Her eyes were averted, tears once again tumbling down her cheeks.

"Hey, no. None of that. You did great." Danny's hand reached out to cup Grace's chin, lifting gently and running a thumb along her jaw as their eyes met. He smiled, hiding the ache that swelled within his chest. As loath as he was to put her in this position, he still needed her help. Without it, they weren't likely to get a hold of medical assistance soon enough.

"Grace, can you make it back to Uncle Steve's truck?" He fished the keys out of his front pants pocket and handed them over. They'd borrowed his partner's rig so they could toss the tree in the bed instead of strapping it to the top of the Camaro.

"Yeah, Danno, I remember where it is."

"That's my girl." Danny blew out a breath. He needed a compression bandage before he could make the effort to move back to the Silverado. "There's a first aid duffle behind the back seat. Uncle Steve's always prepared, right? Grab it and my cell." He placed his palm on her thigh and squeezed, his pained smile widening. He'd do anything to wipe the terrified expression off of her face. The mention of her favorite `Anakala might make her fear less potent, even if it was just for a minute.

She hesitated though.

"I shouldn't leave you."

"I promise I won't go anywhere, Monkey." Danny pantomimed _cross my heart_, but still his daughter faltered. "Tell you what. Give me a hug. That'll keep me going until you get back."

Grace dove into his open arms, her grasp tightening around his shoulders as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.

"I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know, baby. I know you are. It's okay." Danny stroked his daughter's hair, smoothing the tangled strands away from her face, allowing her time to digest that it was okay to be frightened, that she wasn't alone. "But you and I. We've got this. And I've got everything I need right here." He tapped her shoulder, pulling her in tighter while he dragged from the depths of his soul a love that only a father could tap into. "No one I trust more than you. No one."

When his body betrayed him with a shudder, Grace untangled herself. She pecked him on the cheek and then framed his face between both of her palms, her gaze holding his. He saw lines of determination crease her forehead.

"I'll be right back. Remember, you promised, Danno."

"Right here, Monkey. I'm all set right here."

Danny waited until she left before he turned his full attention back to his leg. The bleeding had slowed, but the thrum of pain had become a pounding sledgehammer. As he peeled back his torn jeans, his stomach revolting at the sight of the ragged wound. His hands shook, fingers barely following directions, because no matter how cautious he was, any shift or tug along the torn edges of flesh traveled up through his leg and into his pelvis.

"Fuck!"

He leaned back onto his elbows before he fully hit the ground. He'd managed to pull back a quarter of the fabric stuck to his flesh. Aware that his next move only indicated his misery, he threw one arm over his eyes and breathed deeply, not really caring.

_"Alright, Williams, get up. You've no time for a pity party. Grace will be back soon."_

"Great, bleeding like a stuck pig _and_ hearing voices. Just, perfect. Thank you, Steven. I'm blaming you, even if you're not here."

Forced to gather his reserves, he sat up to work on the middle section of the wound. He'd managed to fillet his quad from just below his hip to barely above the knee, diagonally.

"Fuck, what is that?" Danny released a breath he was unaware he'd been holding. Sweat dripped off the tip of his nose and down the sides of his temples. No idea what he was looking at, and thinking it best if he not know, he closed his eyes.

_"Almost done. Come on Danno, you're almost done. Keep going."_

"God, shut up, Steven." He shook his head, running a clammy forearm across his brow as he ground his teeth. His vision wavered. "Come on, come on. If I'm forced to listen to you in my head, at least help me out here. Just a couple more seconds."

Afraid he was losing the battle, Danny carefully pulled the remaining strands of cloth free. His final effort though, slammed his back onto the ground as the denim slipped from his bloody fingers. He groaned as his vision grayed, shock creeping up on him until the pain sank denticulate teeth in and tore him apart. He tried to fight back then. Fight back because of Grace.

Time slipped again.

"Danno?"

"Yeah, still here, babe." Even to his own ears his voice sounded weak.

"I got the duffle and cell. But there's not a signal on your phone. I already checked."

Grace intertwined her fingers with his.

_"Fuck."_ He must look terrible.

Danny sighed. He hadn't thought there would be enough reception, but it was worth a try.

"It's okay, Grace. The cell was a long shot." He squeezed her hand. "Help me up. Let's see what hospital Uncle Steve pillaged and plundered."

They were able to rummage through the supplies, setting aside what they needed.

"You ready?" Danny smiled, throwing everything he had into bolstering his daughter. He wanted Grace to trust in herself as much as he did. "When I press the edges of the wound together I'll need you to put the dressing in place. You think you can handle that?"

She barely hesitated before nodding.

"Once the dressing's in place we'll secure it and add pressure with the bandage."

She nodded again.

The placement of the dressing and bandage on his leg almost caused Danny to lose the plot. Just touching the damn thing pushed his pain through the roof, every muscle clenching until he remembered that he needed to breathe.

_"Hang in there, Danno. Don't scare Gracie by fainting, buddy."_

This time, Danny snorted.

_"Williams' men don't faint,"_ he argued.

He latched onto his partner's voice as if it were a lifeline. Didn't matter if he was delusional. If his mental state could ward off unconsciousness for just a bit longer, he'd take it.

"Danno, will this help?" Grace held out a bottle. The label was some mashed together display of colors, but recognizable.

He dry swallowed 800mg ibuprofen, holding back another snort as he did it. Taking a non-opioid analgesic was like putting your finger in a leak when the waters were already breaching the dam. What he needed was morphine, but the SEAL obviously hadn't raided that particular pharmacy, so a finger poke would have to do.

"Thanks, Monkey." He blew out another breath, steadying himself for the next round of torture. "Help me up and back to the truck, okay?"

Normally, Danny viewed silence as something to be filled. Unless of course the silence was Steve accepting a verbal lashing ... from him. Silence from Grace, in these circumstances, was not so great. So he couched his pain the only way he knew how, by telling his daughter stories of her crazy Uncle, if only to get her to laugh with him. Her chuckles were eventually overwhelmed by his grunts though, his daughter's wiry limbs unable to compete with his own monolithic ones. After a while, he began to wonder if his tendency towards the absurd was due to shock, or his new-found appreciation for the laws of physics. Because the laws of physics were a bitch and they'd outdone themselves this time.

**~to be continued~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.

**_Authors Note:_**_ Enjoy!_

**_Chapter 2_**

They'd been odd-looking pines, pyramidal, unfamiliar and now unnerving. Rough, blackened branches drooped to the forest floor, snatching at Danny's pant legs to trip him up, send him and his daughter sprawling. He'd lost count of how many times he'd taken Grace to the ground, each time becoming more entangled in her arms and legs because she'd refused to let go of him. Now, unable to maintain his waggish front for her, all his energy was diverted to his efforts to stay upright and mobile.

_"That's it Danny, get up. You've got to keep moving, buddy."_

"Come on, Danno, give me your hand."

Both voices bounced between his ears, an encouraging echo of one another before a rushed, whistling sound in the air overhead made him start. Birds burst from their cover, calling in alarm as they scattered in all directions. Danny peered up and hesitated, searching through the gaps in the canopy, trying to see the source of their flight. He hadn't realized it was his and his daughter's loud clambering that had unnerved them. So he ignored them as he reached for Grace's hand to pull himself upright. He staggered forward. Another wave of nausea rolled through him. Dappled swatches of sunlight teased him when he looked through the trunks of the trees, denying him the view that he needed, that they both craved. The Silverado.

His breath was coming fast and ragged now, his sweat running cold down his face. He could feel his heart pounding as he and Grace stumbled down the remaining hillside, a soft mat of decaying needles cushioning their footfalls. If he could only stop and lay down for a minute. A quick rest.

_"Please, Steven."_

_"You're doing great, Danny. Trust Gracie. She'll get you home. Keep going."_

He didn't hesitate this time, just plowed through the pain as Steve's voice drove him harder. The coolness of the evening had begun to turn the afternoon heat. The forest passed in a blur before they finally lurched out of the trees and onto the well-worn road, almost falling again.

Danny squinted against the approaching sunset, shielded his eyes with his hand to confirm that the shimmer of the truck wasn't his mind playing tricks on him. After a few more feet, they reached their destination. Winded, he slumped against the side of the Silverado, placing a bloodied palm against the panel before he had to crouch, his left leg extended. His heart raced as he tried to think through his cramping muscles to what came next. Because movement, any movement, created agony.

"Still no signal, Danno."

Waves of heat rolled off his body. Bent over at the waist with a hand on his knee, he took deep breaths until he could stand upright. His vision wavered before settling on his young daughter, his breath catching as her eyes seemed to burrow into his. The connection was so intense that her gaze held him, as sure as a manacle of iron would.

But then her intensity changed, loosening her hold on him. For an instant, he saw a look of blind terror pass across her features and then it was gone. In its place her eyes blazed intelligence. He saw it flaring there, burning in her, and through it all he felt an overriding sense of her integrity and her love for him.

Unknowingly, she was giving him a safe place to fall.

_"No! Danny, don't."_

The warning, Steve's voice again, flashed through his mind making him remember why he shouldn't do that, why they were there, that time was passing. Time they didn't have and that he couldn't waste. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Danno, let me …" Grace held up the keys to the Silverado, the key fob dangling from her fingertips, her arm outstretched. "You've taught me what I need to know. And I've driven the golf carts at the club. I can do this. Just until we can get a signal."

He hesitated.

"Danno, please."

The way she spoke the words made him force himself to draw in another breath. He swallowed hard. His heart felt as if it were coming up into his throat, but then his mind wandered again.

Grace was getting tall, almost as tall as himself. She was becoming a stunning young teen with the most amazing, gentle brown eyes. Eyes that were distinguished by her strength, fortified by family, and blessed with heart and humor. She was becoming one of those young women whose power and gentleness emanated in equal proportions. He knew this. He did. And he ached because of it, because of the thought that he was losing her childhood.

So now she stood before him, straight and resolute, her hand reaching out to him to be placed on his shoulder.

"Trust me."

Danny's hesitancy left his body in a rush. He slumped against the truck, the warmth of the setting sun settling into his trembling body.

"I trust you."

Her eyebrows lifted. A small smile then adorned her lips as a tear of pride trailed down her cheek.

"I trust you completely, Monkey."

Grace nodded as she settled her hand lower, pressing lightly on his forearm. Her fingers tightened as she helped him inside the cab of the truck. Fraught with groans and hisses, he was able to position himself semi-supine on the front passenger seat. He'd refused to recline in the back, the urge to be available should a hand be needed, too great. Grace scooted around to the driver side to adjust the seat, pedals and mirrors. Once positioned correctly, she encouraged him to lay back so his head was cradled by the head rest.

"Stay still, Danno. I'll let you know if I need help. Just relax." The fingers of her right hand gently brushed against his forehead, peeling back strands of sweat soaked hair.

He glanced up at her touch. Grace's narrowing image revealed determination, but still beseeched his reassurance when she whispered …

"You promised."

Danny clasped onto her shirt sleeve, giving the smudged cotton a gentle tug. She'd turned over the engine, placing the gear stick into drive. He kept his voice low, but firm.

"I won't leave you."

He saw relief wash over her face before she finally nodded.

H50

It'd been just under an hour since they'd blundered out of the imposing, towering trees, the Silverado now descending steadily into the setting sun. They were heading west along the old forest service road. Potholes and ruts littered the graveled, but poorly maintained right of way. Grace's body hurt from muscles gone rigid, her teeth grinding because of the responsibility placed on her shoulders. A responsibility that she willingly accepted and that she'd never forfeit. But the going was slow, each dip or lurch of the vehicle ripping a groan from her father.

When she could emancipate her white knuckled grip from the steering wheel, she felt heat radiating off of his clammy forehead. And although the bleeding from his bandaged thigh had seemingly stopped, his weakened smile and glazed over eyes had her worried. No, make that terrified, though she'd never admit that. Never admit to the fear that her body would curl into a ball of withering potentia, and that the action was not that far off from actually happening.

Every few minutes, her Danno would reach over to place a quivering hand on her bicep or tug lightly on her bloodied shirt sleeve. His whispers of encouragement, unbeknownst to him, were warding off the claws of fear that were trying to rip through her chest.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Silverado crawled to a stop at a T-intersection. After placing the hog of a rig into park, Grace swiped the face of the cell, breathing a sigh of relief when two bars popped onto the screen.

"I've got a signal, Danno." Grace's small smile withered after peeking over at her passenger. "Danno?" She placed her hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. "Danno?"

No response but a groan.

"Danno, wake up!" A bit harder shake produced a small protest and lids that fluttered open to half-mast, but then closed again. "Stay awake," she whispered. "You promised me." Her father's fingers twitched in response as she intertwined hers with his. "I'm calling for help, Danno. You have to stay awake."

Within seconds, Grace one-handedly punched in the connection to 911. Her hand shook as she raised the phone to her ear.

"Honolulu dispatch, where's the exact location of your emergency?"

"Kuaokala Forest Reserve. But I don't … I don't know exactly where we are."

"Are you still in Kuaokala Reserve?"

"Yes."

"Are you hiking in the reserve or are you on a road?"

"We're on a dirt road. The intersection of a dirt and paved road."

"Do you know the name of either road? Is there a sign or any landmarks that would help me determine where in the reserve you are?"

"No, it's mostly just trees. I don't remember the names of the roads, and there aren't any signs that I can see." Grace hesitated, pilfering through her memory for anything usable. "Oh, wait. When we turned into the reserve I remember my Dad pointing out the satellite tracking station. The big white ball looking things. But I can't see them from where we are now."

"Okay that's still very helpful. Is your Dad there with you?"

"Yes. He's hurt really bad and needs an ambulance … please." Grace's voice wavered, her hand still resting within her father's.

"Can I talk to your Dad?"

"He hasn't said anything in a while. I tried to get him to talk before I called. He'll squeeze my hand if I squeeze his but he's having a hard time keeping his eyes open."

"Okay. Can you tell me if your Dad is still responding to your voice and the squeeze of your fingers now?"

"Hold on ... Danno?" Grace strangled her father's hand in hopes of a rejoinder before setting the cell down on the middle consul. "Danno?" Her small fingers cupped her father's face as she leaned closer. Her breath released a stifled sob when she felt the weak rebuttal and his eyelids fluttered back into utter slits. Slowly his eyes tracked to her own, and held there. Reluctantly, she pulled her hand away from his cheek to pick up the phone.

"Yeah, he is. He can hear me, but he's still having a hard time staying awake."

"That's okay. It's good that he's responding to you. What's the number that you're calling from?"

"(808) 529-3111."

"Is that a cell phone?"

"Yeah. It's my Dad's cell. Detective Danny Williams. He's with Five-0."

"Did you say Detective Danny Williams, Five-0?"

"Yes."

"Is anyone else with you? Anyone else injured?"

"No, it's just me and my Dad. Only Danno's hurt."

"Okay, what's your name, hun?"

"Grace, my names' Grace Williams."

"Alright, Grace. I'm getting another dispatcher to contact HPD to secure a lock on your cell phone. That'll help us figure out where you and your Dad are. I need you to stay connected with me and not hang up, okay?"

"Okay."

"Grace, can you tell me exactly what happened? How your Dad got hurt?"

Grace unloaded the information and images as if she were being chased by her worst nightmare, tripping over her words as tears once again began to trickle out of her. By the time she'd relayed the story, she was hanging on to her composure by sheer force of will.

"You're doing great, Grace. How long ago did this happen?"

"Um … it's been about an hour, maybe a little bit longer?"

"Alright. I'm organizing EMT's and HPD to get help to you now. Stay on the line with me till they get there and I'll tell you exactly what to do next, okay?"

"Okay."

"Is your Dad still bleeding from the wound? I don't want you to lift up the bandage to look. Just tell me if the dressing and bandage has soaked through yet."

"No … I mean, yeah. I can see a little bit of blood. But the bandage isn't completely soaked through."

"Okay, I don't want you to move your Dad unless he's in danger or unless I ask you to. And we're not going to splint his injury ..."

"Wait. What about the belt? Danno had me help him put his belt around his leg above the wound and tighten it. Do I need to take that off?"

"Yes. Can you get it off by yourself?"

"I think so."

"Wait a second, Grace. Before you take the belt off, do you have any more dressings or bandages in the first aid kit that you used before? In case the wound starts bleeding again?"

"I think there's more of both."

"Okay, I'll tell you how to stop the bleeding in case it starts once you get the belt loose. I'll need you to listen carefully to make sure we do it right, okay?"

"Okay."

"Go ahead and pull out another dressing and bandage so it's ready to use if you need it."

"Hang on, the duffle's in the backseat. I have to grab it first." After extricating her fingers from her father's hand, Grace scrambled over the center console, making sure not to kick out as she scooted past. "Okay, I've got it." A quick scramble back to the front seat and she was rifling through the bags contents to grab what she needed.

"You ready, Grace?"

"Yep. I found both. I'm ready." Grace blew out an unsteady breath.

"Once you loosen the belt, if blood starts soaking through, lay another dressing on top of the old one and wrap the bandage like your Dad showed you. Then press down firmly and remember, don't lift it up to look."

Grace tapped the speaker function and set the cell on the dash so she could use both hands. Just her hesitant touch, her hands trembling so fiercely that the leather continually slipped through her fingers while she attempted to release the prong from the hole, created a deep, cavernous groan from her father. Tears trailed, unrestrained, down her cheeks.

"Danno, sorry … sorry …"

**~to be continued~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.

**_Authors Note:_**_ Another thank you to great friends and my fantastic betas. And yep, played with it again. All mistakes remain my own ;)_

_ Enjoy!_

**_Chapter 3_**

"McGarrett."

"Commander McGarrett, this is 911 dispatch. We've an ongoing incident that currently involves Detective Danny Williams and his daughter Grace …"

The voice continued spewing facts as if giving dictation. Detective Danny Williams injured: chainsaw accident, quadriceps, bleeding heavily … Grace.

Steve said nothing as his mind raced in a thousand directions all at once. The pair, father and daughter, were spending the day on their annual Christmas tree hunt. He was well aware of this, because earlier he'd given his partner the name of the forest reserve to check out. Danny had been hesitant to venture off their usual beaten path from years prior, but he'd assured his friend that it'd be well worth the drive.

"Commander? Commander McGarrett?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm here. Sorry. What hospital was Detective Williams taken to?" He'd grabbed the Camaro's keys and was heading towards the door before he noticed the brief, uncomfortable delay of the answer.

"Commander, we're still determining their exact location. Grace wasn't able to give us any information, other than a Satellite Station landmark. HPD, EMTs, and Hawaii Life Flight have already been dispatched to Kaena Point's Helipad. The EMTs and Life Flight are on standby until Detective Williams and his daughter have been located."

"Wait, you haven't found them?" Steve ran a hand through his hair as he spun in place, a chill at the mention of Life Flight running up his spine. "Why is Grace trying to tell you where they are? Wasn't Detective Williams able to give you that information?"

"Detective Williams has been verbally unresponsive. We've their general location, which HPD has been moving towards, but Commander, we've got an additional concern at the moment."

"What? What's happening?"

"We haven't been able to get Grace to respond to our dispatcher after her father lost consciousness."

"Crap." Steve blew out a breath, berating himself for taking so long to come to grips with what was happening. "How long? How long have you been trying to get her to reply?"

"It's been 9 minutes. We can still hear her …" The dispatcher cleared her throat before the thought could be finished. "She's crying, but she's …"

"Get me a conference connection into Grace." Steve dropped firmly into SEAL mode, rattling off his demands. "What hospital is Life Flight taking Detective Williams to once they've been located?"

"Queens Medical."

"I'll head that way. But in the meantime, get me that connection to Detective Williams daughter. Now!"

"Yes, Sir. Hold please …"

Steve's long strides covered familiar ground until he finally curled into the leather seating of the black coupe. He rammed the key into the ignition, hesitating only slightly to listen before turning the engine over.

"Come on, come on, come on," he grumbled, his focus on listening for Danny's daughter as he throttled the gear shift into drive. The only sound to reach his ears, though, was the rumble of the Camaro as it plunged forward while he waited for what felt like forever. He flipped on the flashing overhead lights and the siren … 1 minute … 30 seconds, and then the deadened silence changed into the crackle of an open line.

"Commander McGarrett, you're patched through. Dispatch is still connected to the call."

"Got it. Thank you …" He forced himself to modulate his tone.

"Grace." Her name was spoken in a whispered innuendo of fear that ran cold through his veins. "I can hear you, Gracie. I'm right here. Talk to me."

Steve could see her in his mind's eye. A confused and frightened young girl, warring with the independence and strength of an emerging teen. The battle waging within her likely tucking her into a ball of uncertainty. God, she was being forced to grow up so quickly no matter how hard her father tried to protect her.

"Grace." Another supplication. And then he heard her moving. The rustle of clothing against skin and a sniffle before...

"Uncle Steve?"

"Yeah, Gracie. It's me."

"Uncle Steve … help me. I can't do this. I can't. I'm not like you."

Steve felt suddenly helpless, as if his world had unexpectedly gotten sucked into a squall. A leaf in the wind. He thought that somehow, being a SEAL for all those years, he should've some control of the events all around him. Yet now, he was hardly more than a bystander, hearing others hurting, while he tried to guide one small girl in what needed to be done. He knew very well what Grace's fear would do to her, what losing her father would do. He knew. He did. His blood boiled at the knowing. Yet, there was no way he'd let that happen to his adopted niece, not if he could help it. So Steve railed against his helplessness with everything he had. Every forethought, every power that he possessed, because this was Grace.

"Aw, Gracie. Your Danno doesn't want you to be me. He just wants you. Just his Monkey."

"But he … I … I hurt him. He … he cried out and then he tried to pull my hands away. Because … he thought … he thought I was trying to hurt him. I wasn't … I didn't mean to. I didn't." Grace's voice caught before it climbed another octave. "Uncle Steve, please, he won't wake up. I can't get him to wake up!"

"Grace. I know you think you hurt your Dad. But you did exactly what I would've done to stop the bleeding, okay? You had to put pressure on the wound. Remember what the dispatcher told you? You did the right thing, Grace. You did."

"But he won't wake up …" Her faint entreaty was filled with despair.

"I know, sweetheart. But Danno's still breathing, right? Can you check for me to make sure he's still breathing?" He could hear her moving again, the chime of the driver's side door as it opened and then closed with a grunt. Then the only sound was her panting and the crunch of her boots before the metallic click of the passenger latch popped as it opened.

"Danno? Danno, wake up … please."

He heard the plea within her voice, envisioned her trailing her fingers across Danny's shirt, resting her palm, fingers splayed across his chest.

"Yes … yes he's breathing."

Steve let out his own breath, unaware that he'd been holding it.

"Is he still lying on his back?

"No, he … he kind of curled into a ball on his right side to get … to get away from me."

Steve's grip on the steering wheel became vice-like at her interpretation of his partner's reaction to her.

"He wasn't trying to get away from you, hun. Just the pain. You were helping him. I promise you Gracie, he knows that, okay?" He waited for a response, but there was nothing. "Grace?"

The sirens of the Camaro were still wailing, but what came next, her question, followed by a simple plea, felt like a gut punch.

"Uncle Steve, I hear more sirens. Is that you? Are you almost here?"

He ground his teeth.

"Grace, I need you to listen to me. HPD and the EMTs are almost there. The sirens that you're hearing aren't mine. I'll meet you and Danno at Queens, alright?"

The car's torque bellowed as the Camaro gripped through the turn to the emergency entrance at Queens. He'd traveled 7.5 miles in 14 long minutes … and it was too long.

_"They're taking too damn long to get to them."_

"No, Uncle Steve. Danno needs you. I need you …" Grace's last bid tore through him without mercy.

"Gracie, listen. I need you to believe me. I'll stay right here on the phone with you. And I know that's not the same as being by your side. I know that. But I couldn't get to you and Danno in time to help, so I'll meet you here at Queens as soon as you get here." He paused, giving Danny's daughter the time to comprehend that he wasn't abandoning them. "I want to be there with you, Grace. I do. But help's coming. You can do this. I know it's hard but you can do this. I need you to hold on for your Danno just a little bit longer. Can you do that for me? For Danno?"

The Camaro crackled and spit to a halt when Steve hair pinned the vehicle into a parking space close to the ER. The raw power of the machine and wail of the siren died into silence after he slammed the gear shift into park and cut the engine.

"Grace?"

Her only answer was an unmistakable sob.

Steve leaned forward to bury his forehead against the steering wheel. His throat felt like it'd been scraped raw. The cell now pressed firmly against his left ear, he took a breath, catching a rising hitch before it could escape between his lips.

"Grace? I'm right here Gracie. I'm not leaving. I'll stay on the phone for as long as I can. I promise." As soon as he'd said the words, he heard a gasp forced between another sob.

"What's wrong? Hun, what happened?" Steve pushed his forehead back off the steering wheel, his brows furrowing. "Gracie, talk to me."

"Danno … he … he promised too."

"What? Grace, what did Danno promise?"

"He … he promised … he said he wouldn't leave me." Each of her words collapsed into a stutter lined with sorrow.

Steve knew that sadness heals over time, but sorrow? Sorrow weaves itself into everything; the mind, the soul, the body and the heart. Sorrow's permanent. It may not govern lives, but it nudges at the edges of happiness. Even when hidden deep it surfaces, overwhelms, and in a moment of uncertainty, knocks the happiness right out. So it was under the pressure of that moment, her worry and her uncertainty, and her fear, that Steve began to hear Gracie crumble.

_"No! No, no, no."_

Steve fumbled for the door latch before unfurling from the confines of the Camaro's interior. His intention was to scoop the young girl up into his proverbial arms and carry her through this. Grace didn't weep often, but Danny's daughter already had an intimate relationship with sorrow and fear. Neither Steve, nor Danny, nor any of her 'Ohana, had the power to undo that sorrow or shield her from it. It was already there. And if Danny did leave her, Steve's being there would never undo all the years she spent wondering why. Because Steve never stopped wondering about his own father. Not ever.

"He hasn't left you, Gracie. Danno's fighting. He's fighting and holding on for all that he's worth. Don't give up on him, Grace. We can't give up on him." Steve could hear the approaching sirens through the connection, could hear the steady inhale of a sniffle drawn likely across the swipe of a forearm. "Grace, you with me?" There was a bit more hesitation before the softness, finally, of her congested reply came across the line.

"Yeah, Uncle Steve. I'm here."

"That a girl. You okay, Gracie?" His heart was still openly bleeding for her, because what was about to happen next could literally crush her. Danny still had to be extricated from the Silverado.

"I'm okay." Another sniffle before the sirens wailed abruptly silent. "They're here." Her voice had gotten stronger, more forceful.

"Okay, Grace. Is it HPD and the EMTs?"

"Commander McGarrett?"

"Yes?" He'd forgotten that the original dispatcher was still connected to their call.

"HPD and Emergency Medical Techs have both arrived on scene. Life Flight is on stand-by at the Kaena Heliport"

"Okay, thank you." Then it dawned on him that the EMTs would need specific information that Grace wouldn't be able to provide regarding Danny: Blood type, allergies, previous medical conditions, medication, etc.… "Grace, hang on a second. Dispatch, do you have communication with the EMTs?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Great, I've got information regarding Detective Williams that Grace won't know." Steve rattled off what they would need, filling in gaps that could potentially hinder his partner's initial care.

"Okay, Commander. EMTs have been informed. I'll be disconnecting my conference in now. Your connection to Grace will stay intact."

"Got it. Thanks again."

"You're welcome, Sir."

Steve continued to pay attention to the commotion through the call, questions and conversations rapidly fired off in all directions. As he listened, his own pacing in front of Queens Trauma Center increased as he tried to filter through what was being requested of Grace and her responses. She was handling the controlled chaos well, but then her tone changed again. Just a slight hesitation before …

"He's responsive to pain …"

Steve heard the disembodied, unfamiliar voice, male, likely an EMT, followed by a groan. Danny's groan, filled with the growing power of a raging forest fire, as if tree canopies were torching, their ignition caused by the radiant heat from below. The hair on the back of Steve's neck prickled at the sound.

And then Grace's anger roared through the line.

"Stop it! You're hurting him! Stop it!"

He could hear a scuffle break out …

"Grace!"

"Uncle Steve, make them stop! No, NO! Let go of me! Let GO!"

"GRACE!"

There was the unmistakable clatter of Danny's cell colliding with the metal carriage of the Silverado and then there was nothing.

**~to be continued~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.

**_Authors Note:_**_ Enjoy!_

_Kaua – You and I_

**_Chapter 4_**

Steve glowered at the cell in his hand, his grip tightening until his knuckles turned white. Once again, he was waiting.

The Life Flight had left Kaena Point heliport with his partner on board, but not Grace. When he'd reconnected with dispatch, he'd torn through the officers on scene until he'd located the one responsible for preventing the young girl from accompanying her father.

_"You fucking listen to me, Kekoa. Not one miss-step, not one. You let Grace out of your sight for one minute and I'll bury you. You understand me? Now put her through so I can talk to her."_

_"She's, uh … she's in the back of the ambulance and uhm … she's sedated … EMTs are getting ready to transport."_

The expletives that followed 'she's sedated' seemed to launch the inexperienced officer into a run. Steve could hear the crunch of footfalls, and then the pop of the ambulance's door opening, before he'd ground out his next demand.

_"Let me talk to an EMT."_

_"Commander McGarrett wants to talk to you." _There was fifteen seconds of silence before a female voice finally cut through.

_"I'm busy cleaning up your mess. Give me a minute."_

"_Uhm … Commander. She needs a second. She's still treating Miss Williams."_

_"What's her name, Kekoa? The EMT treating Grace."_ There was another pause before the line opened again.

_"It's De Costa, Commander. My name's Amy De Costa. I'll be with you shortly." _The sound had been distant, not from up close to the mike.

_"Give her your radio, Kekoa." _If Steve could've reached through to throttle the man, he wouldn't have hesitated. The kid had the tact of a wrecking ball.

_"She won't take it. She says she's not done yet."_

Another growl had escaped before Steve could rein it in.

_"Set it on the seat beside her so she can hear me. Then get the fuck out of the way. Give her some space."_

_"Yes, Sir. Radio's in place."_

_"De Costa, just listen. I'm Commander Steve McGarrett, head of the Five-0 Task Force. Detective Williams is my partner and your patient's, Grace Williams', father. Detective Williams should be arriving at Queens shortly. So unless there's a medical reason for Grace to be treated elsewhere, I need her to be transported there as well. I'm already at Queens waiting for Detective Williams Life Flight. I'll also need an update on Grace when you've got a minute. Officer Kekoa will be accompanying you in his own vehicle to ensure your safe arrival. Please have dispatch contact me when you can give me that update." _Steve had waited for confirmation, but he'd gotten nothing as a reply.

_"Kekoa?"_

_"Yes, Sir. De Costa got your message, Commander."_

_"Good, now get your ass to Queens. I'll deal with you later. And if anything happens to that young girl …"_

_"No, I got it Commander. Leaving now. We'll be in front of the Trauma Center in an hour and fifteen."_

_"You've got an hour, Kekoa. No more. I want her here in an hour."_

_"Yes, Sir."_

A concussive, offbeat, thumping cut through the night air soon after Steve had begun pacing. His gaze turned skyward to locate the crimson and emerald safety lighting of the helicopter. Confident that Queens TAWS and TCAS systems would allow the pilots access onto the rooftop helipad, he headed inside. He'd already gained permission, under the caveat that he'd stay out of the way, to trail behind the extraction team for the Life Flight. By the time he made it to the elevators though, medical transfer personnel were already entering, so rather than wait for the next lift, he took on the stairs—a consumption of treads—two at a time to the top. After pushing through the double doors, he skidded to a halt, panting.

"Christ, Danno, now what's wrong?" Steve's statement of exasperation was only meant for himself. What little he could see of his partner, as the man was extracted from the rear belly of the helicopter, didn't bode well. Danny's hands were weakly fighting off the flight nurse and paramedic as they sought to transfer him. Without waiting for permission, Steve inserted himself in between Queens's medical staff while Danny was whisked towards the awaiting elevator.

"Hey, stop that. Let them help you." Steve corralled his partner's wrists before he could lash out further. Seconds ticked by before Danny's gaze finally settled, his limbs deflating as Steve guided them back down onto his partner's chest.

"Gra …ce …" Danny's eyes were wide and wet. A small moan escaped with his next breath.

Of course those would be the first words his partner was able to force between clenched teeth. Steve shouldn't have been surprised, but he'd been hopeful to avoid the subject, at least until he had more information.

"Ste … v … Grace?" Danny's body trembled under Steve's careful restraint, the gurney coming to a halt at the back of the huge lift, staff swarming around them. He worded his reply thoughtfully, because he'd never lie outright to his partner, not about Grace. But Steve knew, with certainty, Danny would deny himself medical treatment if they didn't have word about his daughter beforehand.

"Grace will be here when you wake up, Danny, just relax. She's on her way now. There wasn't enough room on the helicopter for both of you, but I promise that I'll meet her downstairs as soon as she gets here. She's in good hands, babe."

A blue, watery gaze of uncertainty locked onto Steve and held him.

"You trust me, Danno?"

The index finger of Danny's right hand tapped against Steve's forearm. A lone tear trickled down the side of his temple as his eyes closed. His partner looked ragged.

"You keep on trusting me then. I'll take care of Grace." Steve knowingly held his partner's trust and he felt the weight of that burden. But he was unwilling to set it down for someone else to carry.

The double doors of the elevator slid open to the ER. A hand on Steve's shoulder caught his attention, wrenching his gaze away from his partner and onto the nurse at his side.

"We're taking him directly to the OR, Commander, to clean out that leg. You can't go with him. We'll take good care of him. You know that."

Steve nodded, immediately returning his attention back onto Danny.

"Hey, I've got to go, buddy. Hang in there, Danny, okay? Grace will be waiting for you. We both will." He released his grip on his partner's wrists, one hand reaching up to run his fingers through his friend's mussed up hair.

"Commander?"

"Sorry. Yeah, go ahead."

"As soon as we know more, someone will be out to let you know."

Steve nodded, not able to take his eyes off the retreating gurney until it disappeared through the furthest set of double doors leading to the OR. Just as the final swing settled quietly into place, Steve's cell vibrated. After fishing the phone out of a pants pocket, he swiped in the call.

"McGarrett"

"Commander McGarrett, this is 911 dispatch, conferencing you into EMT Amy De Costa as requested."

"Okay, great. Thank you."

"This is Dispatch. Go ahead. I've got Commander McGarrett on the line."

"Commander?"

"Yes, I'm here." Steve recognized the female voice immediately from their prior, albeit, brief communication.

"We're about 20 minutes out from Queens now, Commander. Grace is resting comfortably and should be a bit more alert by the time that we get there. She's received 10mg midazolam IM which has a hypnotic, amnesic, so she'll likely be a bit fuzzy about what happened after the EMTs, and HPD, arrived to help her Dad. We're also monitoring her pulse rate, oxygen saturation levels and respiratory rate. Overall, Grace is doing fine." De Costa's voice remained upbeat and confident throughout the entire dissertation.

Steve sagged back against the closest wall, bending over at the waist as his free hand raked through his hair in a nervous twitch before settling on his knee.

"Okay. What about when you get here. What'll happen when you arrive with Grace? She needs to be able to see her Dad once he's out of surgery. Detective Williams arrived a few minutes ago and has already been taken into the OR."

"Yes, I understand that getting her in to see her Dad is important. She'll likely get the once over from the Docs first, then, if all goes well, she can be released. I'm assuming that you're already at Queens, Commander?"

"Yeah, I'm here. I'll be heading down to the trauma bay to meet you when you pull in."

"Alright."

"De Costa, do you know what happened? Why Grace had to be sedated?"

"I think that's a question best answered by your HPD Officer, Commander."

The hesitation and inflection of her answer was enough to set him on edge all over again.

"But I'm asking you, De Costa. If you were there, I want to hear your side of the story."

He heard her sigh, her own exasperation at the events that led her young patient to be in her care, evident.

"Off the record, and in all honesty?"

"Off the record, and yes, your honest thoughts on what happened."

"Alright then, in my professional opinion Commander, your Officer Kekoa's victim assessment and response procedures suck. I'd send him back to the academy if I were you … yesterday."

"Why, what happened out there?"

"Your girl's got bruises developing on her forearms and wrists where she shouldn't. And had the idiot given me or my partner the time to explain to Grace what was happening, we wouldn't have had to sedate her in the first place. She'd been holding it together like a trouper, until Kekoa grabbed her without a by-your-leave, and restrained her."

De Costa's anger was a twin ire fanning the flames of his own. His was a rage searching for direction … a target, because the rookie's actions seemed unjustified. So Steve's anger fed on his need to protect Grace. Danny's nature to guard his daughter from danger was inherent, but Steve's was learned. And the man was nothing if not a quick study.

But then his fury was cut short when he heard Grace's voice come over the line.

"Uncle Steve?" The slur of the three syllables were softly whispered.

He'd missed De Costa's urging for her to speak with her conscripted Uncle as she became more alert.

"Uncle Steve? Are you there?" Another whisper, this time laced with concern.

"Yeah, I'm here," Steve choked out. The sudden release of his outrage left him to slip down the wall until he was deposited onto the floor.

"Danno?"

He knew what she was asking, but he didn't have the information that she needed. Still, he gave her his best answer.

"I'm waiting for you at Queens, hun. I'll be right here when you arrive. Kaua, Gracie. We get Danno through this together."

**~to be continued~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.

**_Authors Note:_**_ Because you asked so nicely :) _

_Medic 11 – Ambulance. Central – Central Dispatch. Baker 1 – Queens Medical Center. Priority 2 – Emergency. 9520 – Child Battering._

_Enjoy!_

**_Chapter 5_**

"Medic 11, Central, Medic 11."

"Central, Medic 11, go ahead."

"Medic 11 requesting talk through with Baker 1."

"Stand by, Medic 11. Central dispatch to Baker 1, come in please."

"Baker 1 receiving, go ahead Central."

"Baker 1, I have Medic 11 en-route and requesting talk through with you."

"10-4, Central. Go ahead."

"Central, Medic 11, pass your message."

"Baker 1, Medic 11, we're coming to you priority 2, silent approach with a 9520. ETA 15 minutes. Requesting private pediatric consult upon arrival. Patient is an unaccompanied 13-year-old female who is stable at this time, but has been sedated. HPD and Five-0 are aware."

"Medic 11, Baker 1, 10-4."

"Central from Medic 1, talk through complete. Also requesting communication with Five-0 regarding release of assigned escort."

"10-4. Standby."

H50

"Where are you?" Lou barked. His patience, at least whatever he'd possessed before his conversation with the EMT, all but evaporated once the line through HPD dispatch had been opened up.

"Sir?"

Sirens still wailing, the question in the young officer's voice only infuriated him further.

"I asked where you are. Because where ever you are now, that would be wrong. Where you should be is at Iolani Palace about to piss yourself, my face inches from yours," Lou growled. "And turn that God damn siren off like the EMTs requested!"

"But, Sir …"

"Kekoa, if you don't turn off that damn siren, when you get here, I will personally make you eat the fucking speakers! Turn it off, rookie … NOW!" Grover was beginning to understand De Costa's recommendation that the officer be withdrawn. Especially if his inability to follow a simple order, albeit more of a directive from said EMT, was any indication.

"Sir, Commander McGarrett gave me orders to escort Miss Williams to Queens Medical and I intend …"

Lou firmly believed that the rage with which the command was delivered should have warned Kekoa. Obviously the man's fear of Commander McGarrett far outweighed his voice at the end of the line. The police cruiser's siren continued to announce itself to all on the street, the rookie's second ignore of a command given, pissing him off further.

"I don't care what you intended! Get over here!"

"But, Sir! Commander McGarrett …"

"Do you have any children, Kekoa?" Grover ignored that he'd just thrown the man a non sequitur.

"Uhm … no, Sir … I have a cat …"

Grover rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Oh, you have a cat. Did you give birth to it? Have you stayed up late at night with it when it's sick? When it won't stop crying and you can't figure out why? Would you give your last breath to save it?"

"Well, no Sir, but it's a bit like having a child …"

_Oh give me strength. _"And if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a bike!"

"Uhm …"

"Are you aware, Officer Kekoa, that Commander McGarrett has _not_ seen the bruises on Grace Williams' forearms and wrists, but is aware of their existence?" Lou's voice had dropped an entire octave, but the threat was more than still evident.

"Uhm … no, Sir … I mean … yes, Sir?

"So whom would you prefer to face, him or me?"

Only the briefest of hesitation passed through dead air space.

"I'll be there in ten, Sir."

"I thought so." Grover slammed his cell onto the smooth surface of the smart table.

"If the man had an ounce of intelligence, he'd just resign and not bother to show up here at all," Kono spat, her concentration never wavering from the GPS and traffic grids laid out before her.

"When pigs fly …" Lou grumbled, picking up his cell and putting it in his pocket. He patted Kono's shoulder before he stalked out of the offices. Time for his own brand of search and destroy. McGarrett wasn't the only one who could intimidate. If Kekoa was lucky, he'd only get reduced into the three basic components of concrete and used locally by a construction company. If not, well then, Jimmy Hoffa would be found before he was.

H50

"You've got traffic systems under control?" Chin stepped away from Kono. Her finger's continued to map out the ambulance's route into Queens. She was ensuring route access through each intersection by keeping the lights green.

"Yep, I've got it." Kono had begun tracking emergency services as soon as Grover had received the call from De Costa with her request. The EMT had been trying to keep Grace calm, hence the emergency services crews' decision to 'come in hot with a silent approach'. But Kekoa had refused the EMTs multiple request for lights only, forcing the experienced professional to go over his head.

"I'll call Steve to let him know that we're tracking Grace and clearing the way. He can just concentrate on her when she comes in then."

H50

A gust of air announced Grace's arrival. Her arms were crossed over her abdomen in a self-induced hug as she shuffled through the double doors. De Costa's hands gently steadied her, one arm protectively wrapped behind her waist, the other at her elbow. A slight squeeze from the EMT's fingers, an indication that the floor shouldn't be so interesting, encouraged Grace to look up. When she finally caught sight of her appointed Uncle … she froze.

The look in the steel grayness of his eyes sucked her in, made her breath quicken. To anyone outside of his 'ohana, Uncle Steve came across as a threat, deadly in movement, though his stance alone was an ominous warning. But to Grace, he was safety. Safety that she'd only ever felt with her Dad. _Her_ Danno, whom they'd ripped away from her when he'd needed her the most. As the haunted memories of her and her father's struggle through the forest mingled with the sounds of the ER, she stared at her Uncle, beseeching him to shield her. Everything that'd happened was pushing in on her, her world tumbling into uncertainty and guilt. She'd begun to feel so hopeless from her lack of control over everything, every choice that'd been made for her.

Until she saw him.

She burst into tears, stumbling forward until her Uncle's hands gripped her. He allowed her to fall against him as she threw her trembling arms around his waist. She buried her face within his chest, cried in choking sobs, unable to control the anguish that finally overwhelmed her.

"Unc … Ste …"

H50

It was truly in moments like these that Steve believed his partner's constant ribbing held slivers of the truth. When he became keenly aware that he'd the emotional intelligence and abilities of igneous rock.

Steve had been checking in at the nurse's station for an update. At the sound of the double doors opening, he'd made it only as far as an about face before he'd faltered.

_"God, Danno … you need to be here for her."_

The sight of his niece took his breath away, made his own legs weak. Because hidden behind the misery buffeting against his senses, loomed her strength. Someone who knew that the life of her father had been dependent upon her choices that she'd made that day. He knew there were depths upon depths to Danny's daughter, but never before had Steve endured the intensity of her stare with so much knowing, so much understanding. Gazing at Grace was like getting a glimpse of Danny … and of himself. He swore the emotions she wore on her face mimicked his own, if he were to let them through for everyone to see. But damned if his brain didn't stutter as if he didn't know what to do about it for her.

Until her tears came, as if the sight was the spark of a fuse to gunpowder. He hurried towards her, dodging the masses and gathered her against his torso … almost speechless.

"God, Gracie."

"Commander, over here." The EMT, De Costa, was indicating an exam room that would allow for more privacy.

Without waiting for Gracie's permission, Steve captured both of her legs in the crook of his arm, keeping his left tucked securely behind her back. He'd been certain that she wouldn't have been able to give permission, nor would he have been able to voice the request, due to the lump lodged in his throat. So he carried her the few steps, keeping her firmly pressed against his chest, her arms now wrapped around his neck, as she continued to weep.

De Costa patted the surface of the gurney stationed in the middle of the room.

"I'll get the Nurse or the Doc." The EMTs fingers gently tucked errant strands of Grace's hair behind her ear, her palm lingering at the side of her head. "She'll be fine, Commander, now that you're here." De Costa smiled. "I'll be right back."

Steve only took a moment to survey the room before he maneuvered himself up onto the gurney, his niece settled within his arms and on top of his lap. He didn't consider placing her on the bed by herself. He wasn't ready for her to leave the protection of his embrace, nor did it seem that Grace was.

Her crying had become a broken lament that continued to pull at his emotions faster than he could catch them and slam them back into place. Although her head was still tucked messily beneath his chin and her fists were twisting the threads of his shirt behind his neck, he forced himself to take a deep breath. And then another. A miserable attempt to loosen the tightness his throat was determined to hold on to.

_"Okay, Danno. I can do this. I can."_

Before he could clear his throat though, both De Costa and another woman strode into the room. Steve noted the name tag immediately and stiffened. Dr. Angela Patel, Pediatrician.

"Evening Commander, I'm Dr. Patel. Amy tells me that this brave young girl needs a quick once over so she can be released into your care." The physician's voice was steadying, likely from years of practice at putting both patients and their guardians at ease.

"Hey, Grace? I'm taking off now. You're in the best of hands with the Commander and Dr. Patel. You take good care of your Dad for me, okay?" De Costa placed her fingers gently atop Grace's shoulder before pulling away and nodding to him. "You know where to find me if you need anything, Commander."

Not a question, just a statement that spoke to the earlier actions of this fucked up day. Steve nodded, his arms tightening around Grace as his features darkened. He'd been so single mindedly focused on 'seeing' Danny's daughter that he hadn't yet taken in the bruises that tracked across her wrists and forearms.

"Grace? Can I take a look at your arms? You won't have to move much for me to see what I need to." Dr. Patel had yet to touch Grace. She was still ensconced within the depths of his embrace, her eyes tightly shut.

No one moved.

It took a moment for Steve to clear out the emotions pummeling him before he could help. Because in all reality, he didn't want to see. And he was afraid that his reaction would frighten Grace.

"Hey, Gracie? Can you show me your arms? We just want to look." Steve reached up, cupping her head as he placed a kiss atop her hair. "Please, Grace," he whispered. His gaze never faltered from the dusty, matted strands that fell across her shoulders and that had fallen back across her face. Essentially, she was hiding from everyone. When she finally sniffled and then nodded, Steve lightened his hold around her. It was just enough that she could free her fingers from behind his neck and pull her arms away from his shoulders to place her hands, palms facing upwards, in her lap.

Even though he'd known what to expect, his vision flared an incandescent red.

Bruises from an accidental injury tend not to form in a wrapped appearance. The bruises around Grace's forearms and wrists, because Steve knew what to look for, clearly indicated a thumb pad on one side of each bruise and finger pads on the other. The use of force and restraint.

"I'm sorry." Her apology was barely a flutter of breath across trembling lips, but the fact that she'd uttered those words was all wrong. So very, very wrong.

"No, Grace. You shouldn't be apologizing for anything that happened today. None of this was your fault."

His statement was forced from between tightly clenched teeth. He could still feel his veins pulsing. Frustrated, Steve tried to figure out how he could put into words the anger he was feeling without making it sound as if he was angry with her. For him, it wasn't tough to understand the way the anger twisted his own rationality, but neither he, nor God forbid Danny, would want him to explain that to her. That was definitely not a conversation he'd be having with Grace, and certainly not now.

Even though her head was turned, he could see her eyelids close for a moment. Yet they opened when she pivoted towards him, as if her gaze alone was asking him if he really wanted to know why everything about this day was her fault.

He knew she felt this way, he could see it within her expression. That for some reason, in her mind, she was to blame.

Steve waited, the pediatrician completely forgotten. He waited and watched as Grace swallowed and then began to pick at the edge of her grubby t-shirt. Her voice was weak, distant, but he still heard her.

"Uncle Steve, I moved."

**~to be continue~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.

**_Authors Note:_**_ Enjoy!_

**Chapter 6**

"Grace, may I?" The doctor's palms were facing upwards, arms extended, hovering over her wrists. Grace nodded, peeking up under half-closed lids. She couldn't care less about the stupid bruises that seemed so important to everyone else. Because she wouldn't change the way she'd reacted to the officer's attempt to keep her from her dad. If anything, her inability to help Danno did nothing but infuriate and frustrate her, stoke the flames of anger and desperation that had vanished upon the sight of her uncle.

"These hurt?"

Dr. Patel set one of Grace's hands back into her lap when the only answer she gave was the abrupt rise and fall of her shoulders.

Grace felt Uncle Steve's arms stiffen around her at the question, so she peeked up at him. What she saw, buried deep, but easily distinguishable to her, allowed her to relax back into his chest as the pediatrician continued her exam. She knew she and Uncle Steve would be discussing what had happened today, but when _she_ was ready. He'd allow her that, the time she needed.

"Okay, Grace. Just a couple more checks and then you're free to go."

Temp, pulse, and an oxygen saturation check were all completed following the pediatrician's soothing explanations. Dr. Patel then slid her hand down Grace's as she indicated the lancing device she held in her other hand.

"This will be a quick poke to a finger of your choosing, hun. You have a preference for me?"

She quickly shook her head 'no' before her eyes closed while the physician squeezed the tip of her index finger.

"Okay, real quick."

Grace flinched at the sudden prick, she couldn't help it, but then strong arms tightened around her as another soft kiss was placed at the top of her head. She sank further into her Uncle's torso. He was so warm, she just wanted to burrow into him to keep away the numbing cold that was creeping upon her from every direction.

"All done. No more poking or prodding."

Dr. Patel patted her shoulder before settling her attention on Uncle Steve.

"I'd like you to make sure Grace gets some fluids and something to eat before she gets settled for the night, Commander. The traveling food carts come through the waiting areas until 11:30. Any nurse's station can summon them for you if you can't locate one." The pediatrician then pulled out a business card from her scrubs' breast pocket, handing it over to him.

Uncle Steve scowled upon reading the card, his eyebrows rising as he locked gazes with the physician.

"Only if her parents feel it's warranted. She'll still be a bit groggy from the sedation, but she's good to go, Commander. I'll have a copy of my report printed and delivered to you by tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, Doc." Uncle Steve's hand jutted out for a quick shake before returning to enfold her further into his embrace.

"Take good care of her, Commander." The doc's demeanor softened. "If you or Grace's parents have any questions, just have the nurse's station page me or give me a call. Grace's discharge papers will have my contact information on them."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks."

Time stood still for a moment following the pediatrician's departure. She just wanted to stay here, away from the bustling chaos she could hear on the other side of the curtains.

"Hey." Uncle Steve tucked his chin so that his lips tickled the tips of her ear. "You ready?"

She could feel him pull back a bit to get a look at her face when she didn't respond. Still firmly tucked within the crook made by his neck and collarbone, she shut her eyes. She might have to hear the bustle outside their room, but she didn't have to look at it.

"I can still carry you if you want …"

Grace settled her arms back up around his neck and then shivered.

"You cold?"

She nodded. She was freezing and she was tired, too tired to move or talk … about anything.

"Okay, let's go find you a blanket and a place where we can wait. I've got you, Grace."

H50

Grace was floating, no, had been floating, but was still warm and secure, tucked against a solid chest. Still safe. She instinctually knew that, though she found it difficult to work through all the clues that would tell her with whom she was with or where.

"Dan … no?" _"No, that wasn't right."_

"It's Uncle Steve, Gracie."

_"Yeah, okay, that made sense. Didn't it?"_

And then the memories came back, zipping through her system as she came instantly awake.

"DANNO!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, easy, Grace. Your dad just got out of surgery. We're just waiting for him to get settled before they'll let us see him."

She twisted within her Uncle's grasp, her fingers latching onto his shirt.

"He's okay? Danno's okay?" The brief hesitation and note of uncertainty in his answer made her groan, tears instantly causing her vision to waver. She pushed away from his chest, locking her arms, but unable to release her death grip on his clothing.

"No, Gracie, come here. He'll be okay. Doc said that the surgery took a bit longer than they expected because of how dirty the wound was. And they're concerned about Danno's temp. He's got a slight fever that they want to keep an eye on. They're just bringing him out of recovery, so not too much longer before we get to see him."

He had pulled her back into his embrace, running a hand up and down her spine in what she knew was an attempt to soothe her.

"You alright?"

"I need to see him, Uncle Steve." And like the magical click of her heels, three times together, a nurse appeared within the door of the waiting room.

"Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams is settled and can have visitors now." The non-descript nurse smiled encouragingly.

Grace slid off her Uncle's lap after disentangling herself, grasping his hand and pulling with all her might. Her eyes pleaded for him to hurry.

"Okay, we're coming."

Had the situation not been so incredibly FUBAR, Grace might have caught the slight chuckle in her Uncle Steve's response to her insistence. She was being permitted to see her Danno, but she'd instantly been overcome by the fear that someone, anyone, would change their mind and tell her that she wasn't allowed.

Not willing to get left behind in the wake of the commander's long strides, Grace jogged to keep in front of him, her fingers still clenched within her uncle's. She almost slammed into the nurse's chest when the woman turned to face them after stopping to indicate her dad's room.

"Detective Williams will likely be asleep for a while. We'll be in and out all evening, monitoring his vitals and his fever, to make sure that the meds are doing the trick. His physician will check on him in the morning before shift change."

The nurse's initial commentary had been directed at Uncle Steve, a bunch of medical lingo explaining what to expect with regards to _the patient_ within the next couple of hours. Her dad was in a high dependency ward due to vessel, muscle, ligament, and tissue damage. His dressings needed tending, and he was wearing a long leg richards splint to stabilize and prevent movement. Enox … something, something, injections to prevent deep vein thrombosis …

"_Whatever the heck that is …"_

… And 10 days no bending, 4-weeks in the full splint, and physiotherapy starting at the ankle before weight bearing …

Grace had bristled at the impersonal innuendo towards her dad and then ignored most of the remainder of the conversation, after she got lost in the meaning of the words, her gaze latching onto the unnaturally still form just within the doorway. That was, until the nurse's voice had softened, the woman finally directing her attention back towards Grace.

"Talk to him, sweetheart. And it's okay to hold his hand, let him know that you're sitting with him. I'll bet he's thinking about you as much as you are him." A delicate, knowing smile graced the woman's features.

"Could you let my team know where we are when they get here?"

Grace lost track of the conversation again, refocusing on her father. Any movement, even just a twitch, something to tell her that he was going to come back to her … soon. She jumped in surprise when a light squeeze to her shoulder and a pat preceded the nurse's departure. And then, with a conspiratorial wink, the woman was gone.

Grace didn't hesitate, the nurse's exit had given her all the permission she needed to sidle her way past her uncle to Danno's side. Careful to avoid monitors and lines, she slipped a hand underneath her dad's, placing the other atop his, her thumb tracing patterns across his knuckles.

"He's really warm." She'd briefly placed her fingers along his forearm before returning to trace the boney ridges along his hand.

"Yeah, that's his body fighting off the infection." Uncle Steve had moved up behind her, his tall frame leaning over her shoulder to smooth back strands of wet hair from Danno's forehead.

"You think he can hear me?" Grace studied her father's sallow complexion, a frown deepening the lines of worry across her brow.

"Yeah, Gracie. I think he knows you're here."

"Will he remember what I say?"

"I don't know, hun. But you're dad's a good detective, which makes him one of the best listener's I know."

Uncle Steve's fingers were tracing light patterns across her dad's forehead. He leaned forward, whispering into Danno's ear before he pulled back to glance at her. A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"You okay? We might be waiting for Danno to wake up for a while."

"Yeah, I'm good. I don't want to leave, Uncle Steve. I need to be here."

He nodded, reaching behind him to pull up a single chair without losing contact with her dad.

"Willing to share?"

Grace smiled, the first in a while, before settling back onto her uncle's lap, still close enough to maintain contact with her sleeping Danno. She placed her forearms on the edge of the bed, resting her head in the crook of an elbow, both hands still clasped within her father's.

There was silence for a time, not uncomfortable, each loved one lost in their own thoughts as they waited. Until the dam that had been holding back the wall of her guilt, burst without warning.

"I moved," she said, the tone of her voice distant as her head continued to rest quietly within her arms, fingers lightly dancing across the still hand within her own.

"I moved, Danno, and I'm sorry. I am. You told me not to get too close. But I wanted to see what you were doing, I wanted to learn, so I moved to get a better look. I didn't mean to distract you."

She felt the return of Uncle Steve's hand along her spine, his other hand reassuringly placed atop her thigh. He squeezed gently when a noise from the hospital corridor made her flinch. He said nothing though, returning one hand to her father's bicep while allowing her the perception of a private conversation with just her dad.

Her tears resurfaced, falling across the bridge of her nose, down her cheek, but still she continued. Unloaded all of her fears and her doubts within the safety of her silent audience.

She was so engrossed in her confession, she missed the subtle stirrings and tilt of her father's head towards her voice. Missed the slits of brilliant cobalt peeking from behind heavy lids and the slip of a lone tear that accompanied her own...

H50

Goosebumps had run up and down Steve's arms while Grace had unloaded the guilt still lurking within. It was easy to forget sometimes that his niece was only twelve. That what she'd achieved, had faced alone, with only her injured father to rely on, was unimaginable in the eyes of most. Thus he had listened, recognizing her need while keeping his eyes on his partner.

He was rewarded for his vigilance when he caught the slight change in his brother's breathing and the convulsive swallowing. Danny was being lulled to consciousness by the inflection and intensity of his daughter's heartache. Hers was a pull a father could never ignore. The Commander knew that. And he allowed it, if only because his friend's awakening was still a gentle one, as if his body intrinsically knew his daughter's needs though he couldn't yet respond to her call for his comfort.

His partner's watery gaze briefly shifted, latching onto his like a lifeline.

Steve's mouthed, "She's okay", released a further flood, Danny's unease evident within the depths of his eyes. So he gave his partner more silent assurances, "She's okay, _really_", followed by a slight squeeze to the man's arm when Danny's eyebrows lifted slightly in what seemed to be uncertainty.

"_Come on, Danno, none of this is your or Grace's fault." _

Danny's eyes tracked sluggishly back to his daughter. He seemed to be waiting. Maybe waiting for that moment that would indicate his daughter's purge was over. The time when she would allow him to comfort her without stuffing her feelings back down under the worry of his own wellbeing.

Another quiet eventually fell over them. Grace had fallen silent, run out of words and apologies. Steve hoped the blatant fear of their ordeal now lacked the power it had held over her for what probably felt like an eternity.

He leant forward a bit, tickling Grace's ear with his breath. He'd received the visual cue he needed from his partner. Just the flick of Danny's gaze and Steve knew it was time.

"Grace, look."

The fine tissues around her eyes had become swollen, her overflow of tears causing her nose to run and her face to become all blotchy.

Steve knew Danny wouldn't care in the least. Because when her eyes fell upon her father, it was as if the radiant splendor of a newborn star shown upon them.

**~to be continued~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.

**_Authors Note:_**_ Enjoy!_

**Chapter 7**

"Danno."

She'd spoken his partner's name on a sigh as she stood, her legs unsteady.

"Come here, Monkey."

Danny's voice, soft and ragged, seemed to pull at her, so Steve placed his hands at her waist to guide her up onto the bed. He tucked her in beside her Dad, keeping lines untangled and his partner relatively free from the jolts of gangly arms and legs. Steve caught her smile when Danny's gentle squeeze deepened, his hold on her tightening. He heard Grace sigh again as she draped her arm across his partner's torso, her eyelids closing, the soft rise and fall of her father's chest likely lulling her, finally, to sleep.

Steve thought that Danny's presence seemed to secure a haven of sorts, like a boulder, deeply anchored, providing his niece shelter from emotional currents.

"You okay?" Steve straightened, his fingers gently combing through Grace's hair before pulling away to focus on Danny. But he was disturbed, and his frown deepened when his partner's body began to shake.

"Hey, she's okay. She just really needed to see you." Steve pressed his hips alongside the edge of the bed to lean closer, ready to soothe him. Because his friend's eyes, his one true tell, had taken on the look of the haunted.

"Is she? Is she … okay? Cause that's not … not what it sounded like to me." Danny's voice cracked. "I did that to her, Steven. I …"

"Alright, cut it out. What happened was an accident. This isn't your fault or Gracie's." Steve's rising scowl dug trenches across his forehead. His partner's muscles had gone rigid, tight and as hard as stone. And then the realization hit Steve. Danny wasn't looking at him, his gaze was focused on Grace. On the arm that was draped across his chest, his fingers trembling as they traced across the surface of her forearm.

"Shit, Danny don't."

His partner shouldn't have noticed the bruising yet. He wasn't supposed to even be awake.

"_Damn you, man, for being an overachiever." _

"I don't remember …" Danny glanced up at him, the sound of his whisper, raw and pleading. "Did I ... I did that?"

Danny didn't give him the chance to answer. His friend's breathing hitched, but then a deep seated groan ripped out from between his lips. A wounded sound that Steve had never heard before. One that wrapped around nerve endings.

"No. No, no, no. Christ, Danny, listen to me. Damn it, _listen_ …"

Steve woke Grace with a frightened start. Without warning, he plucked her from her Dad's embrace, knowing this was a wicked déjà vu where decisions had been made for her and against her wishes. She stumbled backwards after he dumped her onto wobbly legs, her back colliding into Kono's chest as the woman's arms encircled her. The timing of the arrival of his teammates was impeccable.

"It's just me, Keiki."

Kono pulled Grace into the furthest corner of the room while Chin scrambled to the side of the bed, opposite Steve. A portion of Steve's torso and the full length of his arm lay across Danny's chest, pinning him to the mattress.

"Careful of his leg," Steve warned.

"Got it. Call button?"

He nodded, his hands full of a struggling detective.

"Stop it, Danny. Just listen." Steve's full attention returned to his friend. "You didn't cause those bruises on Gracie's arms. Those aren't your fault." Steve was grinding the words out, aware that his partner's body was beginning to sag.

"Danny, you're frightening Grace. Calm down and listen to what I'm telling you."

Steve heard Grace's gasp behind him and then her yell.

"He didn't do this! Uncle Steve, Danno didn't give me these bruises!"

"We know, Keiki. We know." Kono's voice barely made it over the struggle within the room. "Just give Uncle Steve a minute to calm your makuakane."

Steve's time had run out, though. A swarm of bodies descended upon the room, as if alarm pheromones had been implanted underneath his friend's skin, inciting a mass frenzy.

Danny's physician and two nurses displaced Chin with cool proficiency, their delivery of medical information and orders well practiced. They'd left Steve in place, his repetitive drone floating like a tattered leaf in the wind. Within seconds, the excitement was over and the room fell into quiet utterances.

Residual adrenaline still coursed through Steve's system causing his own hands to shake. The fingers of his left hand were still clenched within his partner's hospital gown. He just wasn't willing to remove his connection yet.

"Was a sedative necessary?" Steve ground out. He knew that knocking Danny out only meant that another meltdown was perched, precariously, on the horizon.

"Steve …" Chin's warning was cut off quickly.

"Sorry. Just … okay, I'm sorry. Is he alright?" Steve's hand coursed roughly through his hair.

"He should be. Care to tell me what happened in here?" Danny's plastic surgeon hadn't even flinched at the challenge.

"A … misunderstanding."

Chin chuffed. Steve turned his head to glare at him, but the man just rolled his eyes in return. He knew it didn't matter that Chin hadn't been present for what had initially set Danny off. The Hawaiian was a good detective, so his best bet was likely a damn good one.

"I assume the … misunderstanding, won't be occurring again? He needs his rest commander."

"Yeah, well, he'll get rest. And no, it won't happen again. We'll make sure of it." Danny's misunderstanding of the bruises had left Steve full of rage. Not at Danny, but at Kekoa. The young officer might be safely hidden within the eye of the hurricane … for now … but he'd be dragging the man's ass out into the eyewall as soon as he could get his hands on him.

"Detective Williams should sleep for several more hours now. I'd like to check his dressing, so I'll ask that Grace step out while we manage that portion of his care. She can come back in when the nurses are through. I'm assuming you'll be staying." The question was rhetorical, his response wasn't necessary.

"Steve …" The intonation of Kono's voice got his immediate attention. He'd forgotten about Grace until the physician's comment.

"Hey, come here." Without letting go of his partner, Steve beckoned to his niece. When she'd gotten within reach, he engulfed her within his arm, his torso hiding her from view to everyone with the exception of her father. "He's fine, Gracie. We just have to convince him … and you … that none of this was anyone's fault. What happened was an accident, that's all."

"Uncle Steve, Danno knows he'd never hurt me, right?"

"Yeah, he knows that, Gracie. He's just having a hard time remembering. And there are certain things that he won't recall because he wasn't conscious when they happened."

"Like when I fought Officer Kekoa when he tried to keep me from Danno?"

"Yep, like then."

"Do you think Danno will be mad at me for fighting with Officer Kekoa?"

"Hey, look at me. Your Dad won't be mad at you for anything that happened today. Nothing that you did caused Danno to get hurt. I know you think that when you moved, you somehow caused the saw to kickback. But Grace, you have to believe me when I say that what happened was an accident. Whether you moved or not, whether your Dad took his eye off the saw or not. Kickbacks happen. No one's to blame here. Not you and not Danno. Okay?"

Grace looked up to stare at him, like she was gauging the level of his sincerity. She finally nodded.

"Okay. But then you and Danno can't be mad at Officer Kekoa either."

"Grace …"

The depth of anger in his tone didn't seem to faze her.

"No, Uncle Steve. You can't be. I, uhm … I think …"

His niece's intensity seemed to crank up another level, the pride and worry that he read warring with each other behind the honesty of her gaze.

"I think Officer Kekoa has some bruises too. I might have … well, I'm pretty sure I caught him with my elbow and uhm … yeah, I kind of kicked him ..."

H50

Lou's towering figure circled Officer Kekoa, causing a notable shiver to run up the length of the rookie's spine. He smiled at the response. As the newest member of Five-0, he kind of likened himself to a silver backed gorilla. Dangerous opponents when they're in a fighting mood, but when conflict erupts, a Silverback mediates between fighting family members through their display behavior and threat patterns. Kekoa better be hoping that his display wouldn't escalate into a fight to the death, because there was no question in Lou's mind who the winner would be.

"Why are you limping?" Grover smirked as he passed once again behind the man, already suspecting the answer from the evidence before him.

"Sir?"

Lou threw up his hands, the forcefulness of the gesture creating an air current strong enough to cause the young officer to flinch.

"Let's not start that again or I'll be recommending you get another physical. The emphasis on an audiological evaluation rather than just getting your head examined." Lou about turned into the man's personal space after circling to the front, his nose mere inches from the young rookies. "So let's try this again. I asked you why you're favoring your right leg. I'd like an answer." Lou paused …

"_Times up …" _

"NOW!"

"It … hurts?"

Grover cocked his head to the side.

"Jesus, Kekoa, how did you ever make it through the Academy?" Leaning back slightly to create space, Lou held up his hand, causing the officer's mouth to close with a snap. "That was a rhetorical question you idiot. My initial question was not." Another pause as he pursed his lips impatiently.

_"Okay, breathe. You're not here to kill the kid."_

"So yes, I'm aware that your leg hurts. I've been in the police force for twenty-one years, long enough to figure out some life lessons. So take note … limp …" Lou wiggled the fingers of his raised right hand, "… owie ..." then lifted his left, fingers waggling. "The two are usually combined." He brought both hands together, his loud clap ripping through the air.

Kekoa slammed his eyes closed, a grunt unconsciously escaping through his pressed lips. When the kid opened them, he yelped in surprise, Lou now nose to nose with him again. This time though, Grover's voice was bare above a whisper.

"Lift your pant leg."

"S …"

Grover's eyes narrowed into slits.

Kekoa cleared his throat several times before he could manage the appropriate response.

"Yes, Sir."

Lou held his ground, forcing the inexperienced officer to step back before he could lift up his pant leg and stand back up. Bruises, the size of fifty cent pieces, littered the length of the man's shin.

Grover wolf whistled. He cocked an eyebrow before he bent over, placing both hands on his knees as if to get a better look.

"That seems to hurt." His finger jabbed towards the officer's shin as he stood back up.

"Yes, Sir. It does."

Grover took one intentional stride back into the rookie's personal space, his breath ghosting over the officer's face.

"Good. Hope it hurts for a while so you learn something from it."

Silence, the span of hammering heartbeats with the intensity of a point well made. Until Lou smirked.

"Now go report to Sergeant Lukela. He has a new assignment for you. Something that'll keep you out of Five-0's way for a while. Think of it as a move designed to keep you intact, rather than making our medical examiner pick up whatever pieces are left of you with his tweezers."

Kekoa closed his eyes with a groan. He kept them tightly lidded when Lou slid in even closer, his voice whispering into the young man's ear.

"Oh, and nice shiner, Kekoa. Can't wait for you to explain that one around the water cooler. Best just to be honest about it, if you get my drift."

Lou chuckled as he walked away.

_"Good girl, Gracie"_

**~to be continued~**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.

**_Authors Note:_**_ No copyright infringement intended for the quoted passages either. Another heartfelt 'thank you' to Wenwalke and __praemonitus praemunitus for their support and hard work on this. So grateful they put up with the rookie! _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 8**

_"Tom appeared … with a bucket of whitewash ... long-handled brush ... thirty feet … of un-whitewashed fence, and sat down on a tree-box discouraged …"_

It'd been the intonation, the lilt of her voice that had blanketed him and then eased him back into an undisturbed slumber. Until he heard her again. The soothing meter of her words awakening him, this time bringing him softly back into the room and holding him there.

"Huckleberry was cordially hated and dreaded by all the mothers of the town … because all their children admired him so … wished they dared to be like him. Tom was like the rest of the respectable boys … and was under strict orders not to play with him. So he played with him every time he got a chance …"

Saliva trickled down the back of Danny's throat, accompanied by an urgency to clear it, but he was reluctant to try, afraid his daughter would stop reading out loud_. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer_ was his favorite story as a kid and his daughter must have remembered him telling her so. Besides, if she stopped reading, he would be left with only the empty silence, so instead he swallowed, forcefully. That action alone must have been enough to alert his partner.

"Gracie, hang on a second."

He heard the thump of a book closing. Another crack as the hardback cover hit the ground, flat.

_"Oh, well, in that case, yeah, okay. Maybe it's time to give this a try."_ Danny cleared his throat, willing his eyelids to at least move if not open.

"Danno?"

The air around him compressed, pushed in closer, until he could feel his daughter's breath waft across his cheek and make him shiver. Her hand was clasped tightly around his bicep, squeezing. Another hand, larger, more calloused, was placed gently on top of his forearm opposite Grace's.

"Are you cold? Danny, you need another blanket?"

His brow furrowed. It was as if his initial shiver had set off a bunch of dominoes, each rectangle tumbling against the next. Once he'd started shaking, he couldn't stop.

"Grace, see if there's another blanket in the closet there."

_"No. No, no, no. Not yet …"_ His fingers twitched, finally opening and closing as he tried to locate his daughter's hand.

"Uncle Steve?"

"Yeah, I see him, just stay put Grace. I'll get it." The grasp on his forearm tightened, then disappeared, but not before, "She's not going anywhere, buddy, promise."

He heard the click of a latch releasing and then catching again before the weight of another blanket was placed on top of him, tucked under his arms and pulled up to his chest.

"That better, Danny?"

His eyes were still not willing to open, but he managed a low grunt and then tried to scooch closer to his daughter.

"Danno, stay still. I'm okay, you didn't hurt me."

"Gracie, wait. He's not ready …"

Danny froze. His brow furrowed deeper as small fingers latched onto his own. The calloused hand was back, too. They squeezed, hard.

_"What? Hurt you? Did I hurt Grace?"_ He felt his chest tighten and then his stomach flipped. A groan clawed its way up through his throat when the memories of her bruised wrist and forearm jarred into his mind.

_"Fuck, did I do that? Did I?" _

Grace's insistent voice overrode his inner one.

"… I know I shouldn't have, but I was angry and worried. Please don't be mad, Danno.

_"Wait."_ He'd missed something. He was trying to keep up with his daughter's words but he was too confused and groggy to put the pieces together without help.

_"Uhm … Steve. Steve was here ..."_ He cleared his throat again, trying to unglue his tongue from the roof of his mouth.

"St … eve?"

A tear dribbled out of the corner of his eye, across his temple and into his hairline when his lids finally cracked open.

"Steve? Did I?" His gaze wandered up towards his partner and held there.

His friendship with Steve was one of the greatest gifts two people could offer each other; somewhere where each man could be known and be safe. Steve had always been aware of the frightened, protective father in Danny. He'd also known the loving one. To this day, Steve saw all of him and knew what he needed.

"You didn't hurt her, Danny. Those bruises weren't because of you."

H50

Though Steve's statement hadn't been quite accurate, it'd taken several tries and many false starts before Grace could explain to him all that had happened and make him believe her. And yes, Steve had helped both of them accept certain facts, because the reality was, her bruises _were _because of Danny, though he'd not placed them on her body directly. And as far as Grace was concerned, she'd earned those bruises outright. Although she felt bad for not trusting Officer Kekoa, she'd made it clear that she wouldn't have changed her reaction—her commitment to safeguarding her father—even if she'd been given the opportunity to.

Danny sighed, running his hand up and down his daughter's spine. She'd finally fallen asleep beside him, Steve in the recliner. It'd been a long night. After several minutes of staring up at the ceiling, Danny looked down at his leg and tried not to grimace. His had been the mistake that had started them down this clusterfucked rollercoaster. But his decision to take his eye off the saw couldn't be changed and for Grace, he needed to let it go.

He returned his gaze back to his daughter, his mind wandering back to their earlier conversation.

He'd known all along, if he was truly honest with himself, that Grace was a force to be reckoned with, a soul on fire with the same passions as anyone, including himself. She'd pulled no punches when she'd finally gotten the words out, spoken what was in her heart. She'd been vulnerable, guilt-ridden and oh-so-brave that Danny's heart had soared once they'd worked through all of their collective culpability.

He was able to chuckle now, thinking back on his partner's reaction to his daughter, her determination and tenacity regarding the young officer who had inadvertently marked her.

_"Promise me, Uncle Steve." _

His partner had practically growled in response, shaking his head 'no'.

_"Promise me …" _

Danny's eyebrows had disappeared under his hairline. It was all he could do to not smirk. Because his beautiful, infallible Grace had his poor partner dead to rights. The man's need to flatten Officer Kekoa's just wasn't going to happen. Not according to Grace.

_"Uncle Steve …"_

_"I still have to talk with him …"_

_"No, Uncle Steve, you don't. Uncle Lou already said that he's talked to him. So has Sergeant Lukela. Uncle Chin told me. Besides, if anyone in our 'ohana should say anything to him, it should be me … I should apologize ..."_

_"NO!"_ He and Steve had shouted simultaneously. And then Danny had relented when his daughter looked as if she was going to make her case further.

_"Monkey, maybe later, okay? After we've all had a chance to settle down."_

Grace had stared at him, as if gauging his sincerity. Seemingly getting what she needed, she'd turned her focus back onto his partner.

_"Uncle Steve has to agree, too. No talking to Officer Kekoa, not without me or Danno there."_

It had been a Mexican standoff until Danny's nurse had entered into the room, distracting everyone. He was still running a fever and his leg had begun to let him know what a number he'd done on it. Just before he'd nodded off, after receiving more meds, he'd seen Steve's features soften when the man whispered something into his daughter's ear. Grace had smiled before climbing up to lay down beside him.

She'd won.

"You've got him wrapped around your little finger, Monkey," Danny whispered. He grinned at the memory, kissing the top of his daughter's head before his lids finally grew heavy and he slipped back to sleep.

H50

The physician had finally agreed to release her Dad on Christmas Eve. He'd been weak and miserable for days, so she'd finished reading _The Adventures of Tom Sawyer_ and started on _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_, her voice eventually chasing away his dreams and soothing the crease along his brow.

Once Danno had gotten a release date, Grace had convinced everyone that she and her father should be allowed to return to their home, not Uncle Steve's. She'd argued that she was already on winter break from school and that she was old enough to help her Dad. Besides, in her mind, she'd already proven that she was capable. As long as someone was willing to pick them up for her father's physical therapy and doctor's appointments, they should be good to go. Danno had capitulated pretty quickly. She figured her Dad had seen her _need_ for what it was. It'd been Uncle Steve that she'd had to convince. So she'd compromised, well, she'd guessed he did also. He'd be staying at their house, at least until Danno was more mobile and the visiting nurse had stopped coming.

What neither man knew was that Grace had made arrangements with the rest of her 'ohana to make sure that her Dad's home was ready for Christmas. Danno hadn't really talked about their lack of a tree and the decorations or presents, but she knew he was worried that their rare time together over the holidays had been ruined. So she was darn proud of herself and her 'ohana for keeping their little Christmas op secret from her father and Uncle. It was hard keeping surprises from a detective and a Navy SEAL.

Her Dad had fallen asleep on the ride home, just the transfer to and from the wheelchair, then into the truck, an ordeal. It'd taken both her and Uncle Steve to help him make the maneuvers and by the time they'd finished, he'd been a shaking mess.

"Danno, we're here. I've got your crutches for you."

Uncle Steve had opened the passenger side door for her, allowing her to be the one to wake him. Her Dad was still slow to get his bearings, but with their help, he'd managed to _not_ tumble his way out of the cab.

She frowned as she walked beside him, could tell he had something on his mind.

"You okay, Danno?" They were almost to the door.

Uncle Steve was hovering just off her dad's shoulder, a hand permanently tucked behind her father's back, waiting in case he stumbled.

"Looks like it'll just be you and me for Christmas this year Monkey. I'm sorry …"

Grace unlocked the deadbolt and held the door open for her Dad to pass through.

"MELE KALIKIMAKA!"

Everyone was there, the whole of their 'ohana.

Her father stutter-stepped and then halted. Uncle Steve's hand had grabbed hold of her Dad's shirt to steady him. She moved in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist and looked up. A smile lit across her face.

"It's not really just you and me, Danno. It's ia kakou. That means …"

"It means _all of us_." Uncle Steve winked at her, his hand moving up to rest on her father's shoulder. "All of us, Danno." Her Uncle ran his hand across his face as he took in their 'ohana and the decorations.

"Mele Kalikimaka, Danno," Grace whispered.

She heard her Dad clear his throat several times before he could get the words out. His eyes were watery.

"Merry Christmas, Monkey."

**~the end~**


End file.
